1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:03,960 Speaker 1: I'm off my game today. No, you're not. People are 2 00:00:03,960 --> 00:00:05,800 Speaker 1: going to have to start making better content. I think 3 00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:07,320 Speaker 1: we're gonna be talking about this for a long time. 4 00:00:07,400 --> 00:00:10,360 Speaker 1: When you program for everyone, you program for no one. 5 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 1: I think it's that we're purpose driven platform, like we're 6 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 1: trying to get to substance. How was that? Are you 7 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:19,320 Speaker 1: happy with that? This is marketing therapy right now? And 8 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 1: it really is? What's up? I'm Laura Currency and I'm 9 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:28,639 Speaker 1: Alexa Kristin. Welcome back to Atlantia. Episode five. We have 10 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: an interesting guest on the show. In fact, his tagline 11 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:34,680 Speaker 1: is stay interesting. We're excited to bring to CEO and 12 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:39,199 Speaker 1: founder of Azzy dot Com, Carlos Watson. We've known Carlos 13 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:41,879 Speaker 1: for I don't know a few years now, and he 14 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:44,240 Speaker 1: is truly one of those people that walks in the 15 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 1: room and you just want to hang out with him. Enamored, infectious, 16 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:53,120 Speaker 1: his laugh, He's charismatic, and he's charming and smart um 17 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:57,480 Speaker 1: and what he's done with AZZI is a total reflection. 18 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 1: I think of him as a person and total So 19 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:04,080 Speaker 1: we're going to talk to him about AZZI, where they're going, 20 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:06,679 Speaker 1: what they're thinking, and how to be different in a 21 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 1: world of news media where everybody is chasing the cliffs 22 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 1: bait and the lowest common denominator, right, And and Carlos, 23 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:16,759 Speaker 1: I think has carved out his own niche and there's 24 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:19,280 Speaker 1: a tone that's reflective that you go, oh, that's Auzzy. 25 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:25,080 Speaker 1: So happy to have Carlos on later. Yeah, but first first, 26 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:28,039 Speaker 1: what a week we went to the Twitter verse. We 27 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:31,680 Speaker 1: had so much fun talking with some of our loyal listeners. 28 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:34,399 Speaker 1: Thank you at Landia and thank you for staying up 29 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 1: with us to have a little bit of a late 30 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:41,120 Speaker 1: night banter was Yeah, and one of our favorite followers 31 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 1: at go Crisco or go Crisco or not Crisco, not 32 00:01:46,319 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 1: c r I s c O. Yeah. He really engaged 33 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 1: us in this interesting debate about influence, and it's something 34 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 1: we've talked a bit about in different spheres. We've breached 35 00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:01,480 Speaker 1: political borders, we've gone into media and talent. But he 36 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:05,880 Speaker 1: was talking just a straight up question about influencers. What's 37 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 1: happening marketers, Yeah, influencer marketing? Is it going away? What's 38 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:12,520 Speaker 1: the future of it? Can we talk about that? And 39 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,480 Speaker 1: Laura and I said, yeah, absolutely, we'll talk about it 40 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 1: because it's actually something that I think is a really 41 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 1: um prevalent topic right now. What's happened with YouTube and 42 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 1: a lot of the stars um talking about advertising and 43 00:02:27,639 --> 00:02:30,040 Speaker 1: how important it is and the support and how important 44 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:35,639 Speaker 1: their voices are. I think marketers know instinctually that influencers 45 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:39,800 Speaker 1: command more of an audience and more audience stickiness, like 46 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 1: they stay with you and they become fans better than 47 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:48,240 Speaker 1: any brand in some ways can do just you know, 48 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:52,800 Speaker 1: by advertising. Yeah, and a go Chris go Um shared 49 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:55,880 Speaker 1: an article that he had read on Forbes which talks 50 00:02:55,919 --> 00:03:02,440 Speaker 1: about our influencers the idea of personalities more effective than partnering. 51 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 1: And this is for brands with media companies. And our 52 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:08,799 Speaker 1: answer is yes, that is absolutely something that is in 53 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:13,120 Speaker 1: most cases. I mean, I think it's yes, done correctly, correctly. 54 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:15,400 Speaker 1: And you bring up an interesting point because one of 55 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 1: the things that you know, we talk about being really 56 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:22,520 Speaker 1: important when you start dabbling in this space is oftentimes, 57 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:24,799 Speaker 1: and we said this on our our Twitter handle, it's 58 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:29,960 Speaker 1: not necessarily about um getting or aligning yourself with the 59 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:33,080 Speaker 1: influencer who has the most followers or who is the 60 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:36,000 Speaker 1: most popular. It's about getting with the right influencer who 61 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 1: buys into And it was authentically reflective of your brand. 62 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:41,640 Speaker 1: That is a huge difference. Well, it has to be 63 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 1: someone who I think it goes back to like sharing values, 64 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:50,200 Speaker 1: like shares values with the brand, right shares what's episode 65 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:52,440 Speaker 1: one with Ben Cooley talking about you know, when a 66 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 1: brand and a media company or influence or personality come together, 67 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 1: where the magic happens is when they share a certain 68 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:06,480 Speaker 1: ethos ethos or a certain value or for certain perspective 69 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:09,640 Speaker 1: and that it benefits the audience. Yeah. And one of 70 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:11,920 Speaker 1: the things for brands to pay attention to when they 71 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:16,040 Speaker 1: get into this space is not necessarily lining yourself up 72 00:04:16,080 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 1: with somebody who's going to promote your product one day 73 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:22,560 Speaker 1: and then the next day they've got somebody else's clothes on. 74 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:26,039 Speaker 1: It's really understanding how do you cultivate a relationship where 75 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 1: that influencer inherently believes in those values, promotes such values 76 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 1: and I think in their social profile or in their 77 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:38,480 Speaker 1: their brand ecosystem. Yeah. And I think that brands in 78 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:42,039 Speaker 1: a lot of ways could think of influencers and talent 79 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:46,359 Speaker 1: as people who they want to actually invest in for 80 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 1: the long haul or whatever the long haul is. Um 81 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:52,480 Speaker 1: you can do, you know, short term programs, but something 82 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:54,800 Speaker 1: where you say, I want to go in work with 83 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:59,480 Speaker 1: this influence er on these things in a really meaningful way, 84 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 1: not just to do something that's maybe a little bit 85 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:07,039 Speaker 1: more ephemeral and just you know, leans into culture for 86 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:09,520 Speaker 1: culture's sake, but as something that could stand the test 87 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:12,120 Speaker 1: of time. And I think what's interesting about that is 88 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:16,640 Speaker 1: when those two things come together, the earned value happens, right, 89 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 1: and an influencer who believes in your brand is more 90 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:22,799 Speaker 1: likely to put more into and amplify on their own, 91 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 1: on their own time or dollar or platform, in a 92 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 1: way that brands could never set themselves up to do 93 00:05:29,279 --> 00:05:31,839 Speaker 1: with an actual transaction. I think if you have an 94 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:37,039 Speaker 1: influencer who is you know, working with lots of different people, 95 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:39,960 Speaker 1: and their values are changing based on whoever they're working 96 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:43,120 Speaker 1: with or who's paying them area, they're probably not going 97 00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 1: to survive very long, right Right, I've got an idea, 98 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:49,479 Speaker 1: tell us, what if we stop calling them influencers and 99 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 1: we start buying perspectives that because when you can line 100 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:59,720 Speaker 1: up perspective, these questions don't become questions, they become givens. 101 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 1: Right there. There are things that if you know what 102 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:08,520 Speaker 1: that person stands for, like Arianna Huffington's Sleep, Sleep Well, 103 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:13,520 Speaker 1: Sleep and Balance, and I think there's no mistaking what 104 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:16,400 Speaker 1: you're going to get out of that conversation. And because 105 00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:19,520 Speaker 1: she's so passionate, it's so authentic. That brings us to 106 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:22,360 Speaker 1: the next kind of topic that we've been talking about, 107 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:24,440 Speaker 1: and everyone's talking about it. And in fact, when when 108 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:27,360 Speaker 1: we talked about talking about this, I kind of rolled 109 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:29,320 Speaker 1: my eyes and I said, I'm so done with the 110 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:33,719 Speaker 1: pepsi conversation. But it's an important conversation to have because 111 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:35,640 Speaker 1: we want to put our spin on it because we 112 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 1: don't want to add to the noise. I think everybody's 113 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:44,599 Speaker 1: for points for why they shouldn't have done it, how 114 00:06:44,680 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 1: tone deaf like, we agree it was a mistake. But 115 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:49,800 Speaker 1: the thing that we thought, there are a couple of 116 00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:52,120 Speaker 1: things that we were like, oh but why, but why 117 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:54,039 Speaker 1: are people saying this? So one of the things that 118 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:58,440 Speaker 1: really got under my skin, got my real panties in 119 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:04,159 Speaker 1: a bunch, so to speak, was around um people kept 120 00:07:04,279 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 1: pointing at the in house agency and saying, well, if 121 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:11,320 Speaker 1: they hadn't used it in ouce agency, and as a marketer, 122 00:07:11,640 --> 00:07:14,840 Speaker 1: I actually took total offense to that. When we were 123 00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 1: it was hilarious, Lauren, I were texting and I was 124 00:07:17,640 --> 00:07:19,800 Speaker 1: like starting to text this and she was like, oh, 125 00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:22,240 Speaker 1: I am, I can't even talk about it makes me 126 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:26,000 Speaker 1: so frustrated. And so why does that frustrate us? One? 127 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:31,520 Speaker 1: I think that marketers in house should be totally responsible 128 00:07:31,880 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 1: as much as their agency for making great work, actually 129 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:39,000 Speaker 1: more responsible, because they should be close with the brand 130 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:42,400 Speaker 1: and understand the brand values and making sure that those 131 00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:44,680 Speaker 1: things are reflected. I think one of the things that 132 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:49,280 Speaker 1: we got frustrated with was why should a marketer in 133 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:52,680 Speaker 1: house be any less accountable than an agency than an 134 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 1: agency would if at the end of the day, we're 135 00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:58,720 Speaker 1: all marketers accountable and capable. Right, those were the two things. 136 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:00,960 Speaker 1: It was like accountable and capable. Well, and what it 137 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:05,240 Speaker 1: was funny? I said to Laura, have we as marketers, 138 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:09,040 Speaker 1: like have we become expected to outsource our brain to agencies? 139 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:12,000 Speaker 1: That that kind of bothers me, So are we like 140 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:15,640 Speaker 1: brainless bodies and jobs? Saying sure, just show me the 141 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:18,840 Speaker 1: media flow, like what is that? What does that mean? 142 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:21,320 Speaker 1: And it and it actually reflects some of the things 143 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:25,440 Speaker 1: that are happening in data, which was point number two. Right, 144 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:30,480 Speaker 1: That really kind of like got our goat, which was, well, 145 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 1: I don't know, I'm Greek, we like goats, Yeah, I 146 00:08:34,280 --> 00:08:37,439 Speaker 1: mean the interpretation of it right, And I to me, 147 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:40,839 Speaker 1: it wasn't necessarily that they were any less tone deaf. 148 00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:44,520 Speaker 1: It was that everybody who is a part of culture 149 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:46,680 Speaker 1: at this moment in time, or has been for the 150 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:51,200 Speaker 1: last I don't know, six months, should have recognized many 151 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:54,840 Speaker 1: red flags on the field. And so whether you're somebody 152 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:58,440 Speaker 1: who is sitting internally close to the brand, to me, 153 00:08:58,559 --> 00:09:01,600 Speaker 1: that actually heightens the respond instability and accountability by saying 154 00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:05,480 Speaker 1: I've got to protect this house. And if my brand 155 00:09:05,559 --> 00:09:09,480 Speaker 1: ethos is meant to be joy in this case or 156 00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:13,719 Speaker 1: you know something for another brand, that might mean X, 157 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:17,240 Speaker 1: how am I showing up in the world. And that 158 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:23,520 Speaker 1: litmus test should not be uh solely the responsibility of agencies. 159 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:27,760 Speaker 1: It should be the responsibility of the marketer, and it 160 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:31,640 Speaker 1: should be the responsibility of partners, right. I mean, there 161 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:34,840 Speaker 1: were obviously a lot of people involved. There are always 162 00:09:34,920 --> 00:09:39,640 Speaker 1: many people involved when making UM a cultural piece of 163 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:43,680 Speaker 1: that magnitude. And this is also why I believe comm's planning, 164 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:50,080 Speaker 1: which quite frankly has been stripped away, automated, diluted, complements 165 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:54,000 Speaker 1: of things like data and algorithms, where you know, some 166 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:59,360 Speaker 1: person somewhere said this is a very um pervasive trend 167 00:09:59,520 --> 00:10:01,800 Speaker 1: or or cultural moment, and this is an opportunity for 168 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:05,679 Speaker 1: us to seize an our way instead of really paying 169 00:10:05,679 --> 00:10:10,400 Speaker 1: attention to cultural context and what audiences have to say. 170 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:13,120 Speaker 1: And this is where the idea of I'm not so 171 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:15,640 Speaker 1: sure tests and learn is really at this day and 172 00:10:15,679 --> 00:10:17,880 Speaker 1: age where we need to be starting. I think it's 173 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:20,400 Speaker 1: more about listening and building and like using your gut. 174 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:22,640 Speaker 1: But the thing that like, so I used to work 175 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:25,280 Speaker 1: for Pepsi. They were my client early in my career. 176 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:28,520 Speaker 1: It's actually the first client I ever had was Pepsi. 177 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:31,520 Speaker 1: I have a love for Pepsi. I actually have a 178 00:10:31,559 --> 00:10:36,280 Speaker 1: love for Pepsi and coke. But Pepsi is totally built 179 00:10:36,440 --> 00:10:39,000 Speaker 1: on being a reflection of pop culture. Whether it was 180 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:41,959 Speaker 1: in Russia, whether it's with Michael Jackson and Britney Spears. 181 00:10:42,080 --> 00:10:44,480 Speaker 1: They've been this amazing reflection of pop culture. And when 182 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:47,920 Speaker 1: I think we saw here, which made me really sad, 183 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:52,360 Speaker 1: was a brand not knowing where they fit in anymore, 184 00:10:52,920 --> 00:10:57,600 Speaker 1: like pop culture, we're reflecting it. Hey, here it is, guys, 185 00:10:57,679 --> 00:11:00,640 Speaker 1: this is what pop culture looks like and not doing 186 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:05,400 Speaker 1: more evaluation. To your point around like, Okay, we understand 187 00:11:05,400 --> 00:11:07,640 Speaker 1: that millennials want to stand for something, that they want 188 00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:09,880 Speaker 1: to be involved, that they want to do good and 189 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:12,200 Speaker 1: yes this is a global as we can't be specific 190 00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:16,040 Speaker 1: about anything, but we want to reflect those are universal 191 00:11:16,080 --> 00:11:18,080 Speaker 1: themes what you just went through. But there are many 192 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:21,400 Speaker 1: ways to show up in culture if you're paying attention 193 00:11:21,440 --> 00:11:24,400 Speaker 1: to audience and your consumer has to say the brand 194 00:11:24,559 --> 00:11:28,400 Speaker 1: to me was in an emergency of self identity, and 195 00:11:28,440 --> 00:11:30,680 Speaker 1: that's what we're seeing is like this an emergency of 196 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:34,560 Speaker 1: self identity. But and to your point around comms planning, 197 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:38,439 Speaker 1: like data ain't a strategy, folks, And in this case, 198 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:41,200 Speaker 1: the strategy showed. I I love this line and I've 199 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:43,439 Speaker 1: heard a couple of people use it lately, like your 200 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:47,080 Speaker 1: strategy is showing. I mean, their strategy was all out 201 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:50,640 Speaker 1: there for us strategy. But I think where this brand 202 00:11:50,720 --> 00:11:53,040 Speaker 1: struggled the most in the last five eight years has 203 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:56,480 Speaker 1: been again there this mirror on pop culture. They've never 204 00:11:56,480 --> 00:11:58,599 Speaker 1: been a Pepsi. You never look at Pepsi and be like, 205 00:11:58,640 --> 00:12:02,600 Speaker 1: Pepsi's a leader of culture. No, Pepsi is a reflection 206 00:12:02,679 --> 00:12:04,760 Speaker 1: of culture, and now I think that they've been in 207 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:09,960 Speaker 1: this like almost like you know, emergency of self right 208 00:12:10,760 --> 00:12:13,199 Speaker 1: of who are we? What would have been the right tone? 209 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:16,520 Speaker 1: I mean, what would have been to strike a balance 210 00:12:16,559 --> 00:12:19,920 Speaker 1: to lean into millennial culture. How would we have done 211 00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:23,280 Speaker 1: it differently? I mean, I think that I would have 212 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:27,120 Speaker 1: gone down maybe more of an influencer route. I would 213 00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:30,080 Speaker 1: have if I really, if I really wanted to rally 214 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:37,319 Speaker 1: people around the idea and the zeitgeist of social unrest, 215 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:41,800 Speaker 1: but people coming together in social unrest to form new communities, 216 00:12:42,679 --> 00:12:46,160 Speaker 1: um new dialogues, those types of things, and that PEPSI 217 00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:51,200 Speaker 1: somehow was like the universal connector. I would have probably 218 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:54,280 Speaker 1: gone down a route of going really local and doing 219 00:12:54,320 --> 00:12:58,280 Speaker 1: it globally all over the world, and not probably with 220 00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:01,520 Speaker 1: giant pop stars, but probably investing in up and coming 221 00:13:01,559 --> 00:13:05,320 Speaker 1: talent that I wanted to have a longer term again 222 00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:07,480 Speaker 1: relationship with. So going back to what we were talking 223 00:13:07,480 --> 00:13:11,400 Speaker 1: about earlier, so I think what we've talked a bit 224 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:14,120 Speaker 1: about over the course of our first few episodes is 225 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:17,960 Speaker 1: getting back to community and grassroots, and there were undertones 226 00:13:18,040 --> 00:13:22,160 Speaker 1: of that reflect But if you extract the grassroots and 227 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:27,280 Speaker 1: you extract subcultures, and passion points, and you start to say, 228 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:30,880 Speaker 1: what are the things if I'm listening truly to the 229 00:13:30,920 --> 00:13:35,200 Speaker 1: millennial pepsi consumer, who are those subcultures? Not the generic 230 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:37,880 Speaker 1: ones we've come to expect, but who truly are they 231 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:43,280 Speaker 1: sneaker heads? Are they collaborative artists? Are they interpretive dancers? 232 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:46,160 Speaker 1: You know, you get the point, and then understand to 233 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:49,360 Speaker 1: your point, if I put a pepsi in their hand, 234 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:54,920 Speaker 1: which presumably stands for joy, what does that community galvanize around? 235 00:13:55,840 --> 00:13:59,560 Speaker 1: And there's your content series because the product is reflective 236 00:13:59,600 --> 00:14:04,080 Speaker 1: of an ocean and that emotion has been joy, but 237 00:14:04,160 --> 00:14:08,480 Speaker 1: put in the wrong context, here we are. Yeah, hey, 238 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:11,640 Speaker 1: can I ask a question? Sure, cam our producer, you 239 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:14,280 Speaker 1: can ask a question. The thing that you guys didn't 240 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:16,080 Speaker 1: bring up. But the thing that I thought of as 241 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:20,360 Speaker 1: a consumer was like the second a commercial is political 242 00:14:20,560 --> 00:14:25,840 Speaker 1: at all, I'm extremely skeptical because they're using something really 243 00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:29,200 Speaker 1: serious to sell something. And then in this case, they 244 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:33,120 Speaker 1: suggested that a can of pepsi can beat the solution 245 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:37,400 Speaker 1: to police brutality, which which no one's gonna buy. But 246 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:41,000 Speaker 1: I mean, how do brands, even you know, touch on 247 00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:46,360 Speaker 1: political topics if people like me kind of like are 248 00:14:46,800 --> 00:14:49,560 Speaker 1: averse to that to begin with because they think they 249 00:14:49,560 --> 00:14:51,560 Speaker 1: have to talk about it from like, so, okay, how 250 00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:56,880 Speaker 1: do brands touch on political topics without being I think 251 00:14:57,000 --> 00:14:58,840 Speaker 1: like they have. You have to go back to it's 252 00:14:58,880 --> 00:15:03,840 Speaker 1: not funny, I say money because one of our Twitter 253 00:15:03,880 --> 00:15:09,080 Speaker 1: followers asked us, you know, how do you think about 254 00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:12,640 Speaker 1: advising your clients around politics? And we talked a bit 255 00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:18,240 Speaker 1: about it on our first episode with Ja and I'll 256 00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:20,960 Speaker 1: go back to what the core theme of that show was, 257 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:25,680 Speaker 1: core values, core values, and like Bend talked a lot 258 00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:28,840 Speaker 1: about um, if there's five things that are on your 259 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:30,840 Speaker 1: front wall when you walk in the door, like if 260 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:34,880 Speaker 1: the if the company actually, if the people do not 261 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:37,480 Speaker 1: feel like that is actually who the brand is, then 262 00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:39,720 Speaker 1: you shouldn't even be talking about externally, I think is 263 00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:43,000 Speaker 1: what you're thinking. I doubt PEPSI has a big Black 264 00:15:43,040 --> 00:15:46,400 Speaker 1: Lives Matter sign in their lobby. It shouldn't have been 265 00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:50,360 Speaker 1: about politics. It should have been about people and the news, right, 266 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:53,920 Speaker 1: and that's what they were trying. And then you know, 267 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:58,400 Speaker 1: having some weird policeman basically, which was like the modern 268 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:02,360 Speaker 1: Tianamen Square thing right with PEPSI, Like I didn't really 269 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:05,760 Speaker 1: totally like, I don't know why they did that, and 270 00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:10,280 Speaker 1: it made it definitely more political. Yeah, I mean, I 271 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:13,000 Speaker 1: feel like they even and I don't know because I'm 272 00:16:13,040 --> 00:16:16,520 Speaker 1: not part of the world, and you guys might disagree, 273 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:19,360 Speaker 1: but I feel like the ad would have been fairly 274 00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:22,800 Speaker 1: successful if Pepsi hadn't even appeared in the commercial. Total 275 00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:27,120 Speaker 1: totally agree with that, like banner at the end, because 276 00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:28,840 Speaker 1: commercials do that all the time. You're like, what the 277 00:16:28,840 --> 00:16:31,360 Speaker 1: hell is this about? It's not about the product, and 278 00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:34,160 Speaker 1: then you see the what if the flash and you're like, well, okay, yeah, 279 00:16:34,240 --> 00:16:36,800 Speaker 1: what if they had said something like you know, now 280 00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:39,200 Speaker 1: is the time where we need more joy? That commercial 281 00:16:39,320 --> 00:16:42,240 Speaker 1: is completely different, right, So anyway, we could go on 282 00:16:42,240 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 1: about every I mean everyone has and everyone's talked about it, 283 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:48,080 Speaker 1: and I think like the reason we decided to talk 284 00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:50,200 Speaker 1: about it was because those things were kind of just 285 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:53,880 Speaker 1: really rubbing us. So we did and we hope you 286 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:56,360 Speaker 1: enjoy and you'll always get that from us at Landia. 287 00:16:56,480 --> 00:16:58,880 Speaker 1: So we'll be right back with Carlos Watson from Ozzie 288 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:12,800 Speaker 1: Stay with Welcome back, everybody. We are excited to have 289 00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:15,639 Speaker 1: Carlos Watson from Azzi dot Com in the studio with 290 00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:20,040 Speaker 1: us today Carlos Watson, co founder of Azzy dot Com, 291 00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:23,720 Speaker 1: this breakout media company that we've been watching for a 292 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:26,960 Speaker 1: few years now. Carlos, thanks so much for joining us. 293 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:29,240 Speaker 1: It is really fun to be with you guys. As 294 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:31,800 Speaker 1: we were saying before, when last I saw you, you 295 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:34,880 Speaker 1: were carrying a beautiful baby girl to be thank you, 296 00:17:35,119 --> 00:17:37,880 Speaker 1: thank you very much. I'm slightly smaller, but I can't 297 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:41,000 Speaker 1: say all the way. Well, you know what, she she 298 00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:43,879 Speaker 1: did her part, and I assume she's healthy and happy. 299 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:46,720 Speaker 1: She's very healthy, happy and a lot of fun. Good 300 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:55,760 Speaker 1: Thank you. She has Alex as many may so. Carlos, 301 00:17:55,800 --> 00:17:58,320 Speaker 1: thanks for coming to Atlantia. I mean we were talking 302 00:17:58,359 --> 00:18:00,479 Speaker 1: a little bit before we came back on year, and 303 00:18:00,760 --> 00:18:02,880 Speaker 1: I'm really excited to see the tremendous growth you've had 304 00:18:02,880 --> 00:18:07,919 Speaker 1: in the last three years or so, breakout growth, you know, 305 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:11,640 Speaker 1: it has been. It's funny because before we started, I 306 00:18:11,640 --> 00:18:14,040 Speaker 1: was lucky enough to get to have some conversations with 307 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:16,800 Speaker 1: Arianna Huffington, and I got to talk to the folks 308 00:18:16,800 --> 00:18:19,719 Speaker 1: that started Politico and the folks who started Slate, BuzzFeed, 309 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:21,600 Speaker 1: and the folks from Bleacher Report, and so we tried 310 00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:23,960 Speaker 1: to do our homework even as we tried to prepare 311 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:26,720 Speaker 1: our plan, and we ended up coming to learn a 312 00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:28,760 Speaker 1: couple of things. One, we didn't realize how old a 313 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:31,200 Speaker 1: lot of the well known digital media companies were, and 314 00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:33,399 Speaker 1: so Shane Smith made it clear to me that he 315 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:35,719 Speaker 1: wasn't a four to five year old company. Year old. 316 00:18:35,720 --> 00:18:38,400 Speaker 1: We were just talking. We were literally just talking about 317 00:18:38,760 --> 00:18:43,199 Speaker 1: right craziness early nineties and Vox there was various incarnations, 318 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:46,639 Speaker 1: is almost fourteen fifteen years old, buzz Feed twelve thirteen 319 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:49,119 Speaker 1: years old, Refinery twenty nine has been around twelve thirteen 320 00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:51,840 Speaker 1: years old. Thrillist. Ben was just telling me, I mean, 321 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:55,520 Speaker 1: they've passed a decade, and so we still relatively young Bucks. 322 00:18:55,600 --> 00:18:58,600 Speaker 1: And what I really have come to appreciate is how 323 00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:01,760 Speaker 1: long it often takes to get any kind of meaningful momentument. 324 00:19:01,800 --> 00:19:04,320 Speaker 1: So I'm even more appreciative that in our first three years, 325 00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:07,119 Speaker 1: I feel like we've offered something really good to our audience, 326 00:19:07,119 --> 00:19:09,480 Speaker 1: whether it's our presidential daily brief for our daily features. 327 00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:11,720 Speaker 1: And I feel really good about the kind of audience 328 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:13,760 Speaker 1: that we built. There's a lot of what we call 329 00:19:13,840 --> 00:19:18,080 Speaker 1: a and ees, addicts and evangelists, you know, and then 330 00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:20,159 Speaker 1: there are a lot of new opportunities, like events and 331 00:19:20,200 --> 00:19:23,200 Speaker 1: like television. One of the things that Alexa and I 332 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:26,479 Speaker 1: really have enjoyed watching, and maybe you've just studied the 333 00:19:26,520 --> 00:19:29,280 Speaker 1: industry really well, is that when it seemed like everybody 334 00:19:29,359 --> 00:19:32,800 Speaker 1: started to go right in chasing the lowest common denominator, 335 00:19:32,920 --> 00:19:36,840 Speaker 1: looking for scale, in some instances almost replicating the model 336 00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:40,040 Speaker 1: in terms of coverage. In terms of format, Ozzie seemed 337 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:43,480 Speaker 1: to veer left. Ozzie was always actually built for people 338 00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:46,639 Speaker 1: who think of the word different as a positive right, 339 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:48,600 Speaker 1: Because there are people whom you can say, hey, this 340 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:50,199 Speaker 1: food is gonna be a little bit different, and they 341 00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:52,960 Speaker 1: actually get more excited. Or you have people say hey, 342 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:54,960 Speaker 1: it's kind of a different kind of dude and they go, okay, 343 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:57,560 Speaker 1: I actually will meet him that right. What about the 344 00:19:57,560 --> 00:20:01,080 Speaker 1: people who are scared of different food but love different people. Oh, 345 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:04,719 Speaker 1: you know what, we liked this type of left and right, 346 00:20:06,160 --> 00:20:07,719 Speaker 1: but I'll hang out with you. Is that like an 347 00:20:07,760 --> 00:20:12,000 Speaker 1: ambidexterous We like those because I think Alexa and I 348 00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:16,080 Speaker 1: are that well, you know what, then come on down 349 00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:19,520 Speaker 1: and spend some more time with uh. We from the 350 00:20:19,600 --> 00:20:22,240 Speaker 1: very beginning wanted to be different. There's a thing on 351 00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:24,800 Speaker 1: a sesame street. Some of these things are not like 352 00:20:26,560 --> 00:20:28,439 Speaker 1: and we wanted to be different because there are no 353 00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:31,200 Speaker 1: winners in the long lines. You know, the short lines 354 00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:34,280 Speaker 1: are where the winning is right. And so we were 355 00:20:34,320 --> 00:20:37,080 Speaker 1: comfortable being in a different place. We were comfortable not going, 356 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:39,480 Speaker 1: as you said, for the lowest common denominator. We really 357 00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:42,679 Speaker 1: admired what HBO didn't said. You know what, I'm not 358 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:44,560 Speaker 1: going to do a million different shows. I'm gonna do 359 00:20:44,640 --> 00:20:48,320 Speaker 1: a handful, but really really well, they're gonna be monsters 360 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:50,480 Speaker 1: and you're gonna be excited about and so and our 361 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:53,919 Speaker 1: mind was always Apple, HBO Tesla do a few things 362 00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:56,719 Speaker 1: really well and and don't just have people like you 363 00:20:56,760 --> 00:20:59,080 Speaker 1: have see if you could have people fall in love 364 00:20:59,160 --> 00:21:02,119 Speaker 1: with you was at The impetus to be in the 365 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:07,080 Speaker 1: Valley was because you admire and want to exemplify certain 366 00:21:07,119 --> 00:21:12,119 Speaker 1: things that Apple Tesla have done. The biggest part of 367 00:21:12,119 --> 00:21:14,439 Speaker 1: the reason was unfortunately my mom was really sick, and 368 00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:17,359 Speaker 1: so I moved out there. But I love the valley 369 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:21,040 Speaker 1: and I stayed because I think it's a place where 370 00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:24,120 Speaker 1: people have seeing crazy things happen, and where they can 371 00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:29,360 Speaker 1: indulge your idea and not immediately skeptically push it aside 372 00:21:29,359 --> 00:21:31,480 Speaker 1: that no, they can see it actually come to light 373 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:34,239 Speaker 1: because enough of their neighbors went to go join some 374 00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:39,560 Speaker 1: crazy sounding thing called Uber or Google or Snapchat and one, 375 00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:41,560 Speaker 1: and so in New York they're always like, get the 376 00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:44,000 Speaker 1: am I allowed to say something like the funk out 377 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:48,240 Speaker 1: of here, and uh, I'll let lower do the Jersey access. 378 00:21:48,320 --> 00:21:53,240 Speaker 1: But but but it was pretty good. But out in 379 00:21:53,320 --> 00:21:56,359 Speaker 1: the Bay they'll say, like, tell me more. Now, they 380 00:21:56,400 --> 00:21:59,200 Speaker 1: still may walk away from it, but they'll say tell 381 00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:01,560 Speaker 1: me more. And so I thought there was power. And 382 00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:03,919 Speaker 1: then the other piece of it is I wanted my 383 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:05,840 Speaker 1: team even when we had the chance. We had investors 384 00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:08,120 Speaker 1: who were pushing us, even after we started to move 385 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:10,280 Speaker 1: to New York, And I said, you know what, if 386 00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:13,240 Speaker 1: my guys moved to New York, they will fundamentally compare 387 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:16,800 Speaker 1: themselves to the New York Times, to BuzzFeed interesting and 388 00:22:16,880 --> 00:22:19,800 Speaker 1: no disrespect. I want my guys comparing themselves to Apple, 389 00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:25,240 Speaker 1: to Uber, to Tesla. Why are media companies like Ozzie right, 390 00:22:25,359 --> 00:22:27,639 Speaker 1: like some of the smaller players, but some of the 391 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:30,439 Speaker 1: newer players on the scene. Why can't they be the 392 00:22:30,480 --> 00:22:35,639 Speaker 1: ones who are creating technologies and architectures for new products 393 00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:38,280 Speaker 1: in ways that we're not thinking about. So everyone looks 394 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:40,520 Speaker 1: at like the A, T and T s right, or 395 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:43,280 Speaker 1: the Googles or the Apples and says, oh, they're going 396 00:22:43,359 --> 00:22:46,720 Speaker 1: to be the ones, right, Why why can't media companies 397 00:22:46,840 --> 00:22:49,520 Speaker 1: be the disrupter? And even like media companies that are 398 00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:52,440 Speaker 1: what I would say are more niche like in some 399 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:55,400 Speaker 1: ways because you're creating the a in the ease right 400 00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:58,199 Speaker 1: in audio things, dropping on our meetings last week? Do 401 00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:00,720 Speaker 1: you know what's coming in queue? For to know what's 402 00:23:00,720 --> 00:23:04,600 Speaker 1: coming around? This is why people come to at Landing Carlos. 403 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:08,359 Speaker 1: We have these conversations. Well, so, the only folks in 404 00:23:08,480 --> 00:23:11,480 Speaker 1: media who have kind of used tech is BuzzFeed used 405 00:23:11,480 --> 00:23:13,480 Speaker 1: it a little bit when they were kind of gaming 406 00:23:13,520 --> 00:23:16,000 Speaker 1: social and obviously now they just pay for it. And 407 00:23:16,160 --> 00:23:18,560 Speaker 1: The New York Times is kind of used tech from 408 00:23:18,640 --> 00:23:21,600 Speaker 1: personalization to kind of a little bit of virtual reality 409 00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:24,080 Speaker 1: to other things. But there's not a media company yet. 410 00:23:24,119 --> 00:23:27,200 Speaker 1: And obviously I realized that Facebook and Samchat and others 411 00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:29,320 Speaker 1: would be offended would say we are media companies, right, 412 00:23:29,520 --> 00:23:31,920 Speaker 1: but there's not a media company yet. In my mind 413 00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:36,399 Speaker 1: that has clearly said a media and technology just riffing 414 00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:39,080 Speaker 1: on that from the tech standpoint, it's interesting that you 415 00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:43,159 Speaker 1: want your employees, your competitive set presumably to consider you 416 00:23:43,240 --> 00:23:46,240 Speaker 1: as let's just say media and tech. Yeah, when we 417 00:23:46,240 --> 00:23:49,040 Speaker 1: were talking a little bit earlier about you going left, 418 00:23:49,480 --> 00:23:52,520 Speaker 1: Alexa had this really great kind of synopsis and saying, 419 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:58,119 Speaker 1: AZZI is credibly human you when in bridge relationships, not 420 00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:00,399 Speaker 1: with the Googles and the face if you went in 421 00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:08,560 Speaker 1: bridge relationships with why they said and so well synchronized. 422 00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:12,280 Speaker 1: Maybe because I have three sisters, I like partners, you 423 00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:15,400 Speaker 1: realize you have to go along to get along. We 424 00:24:15,560 --> 00:24:19,320 Speaker 1: always said that we were out to thrill our audience. 425 00:24:19,640 --> 00:24:21,800 Speaker 1: That doesn't sound like a special thing to say until 426 00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:25,560 Speaker 1: you realize that most companies are looking to serve their audiences. 427 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:27,879 Speaker 1: And I don't mean any disrespect to a lot of 428 00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:29,240 Speaker 1: the people we know, but you know, most of the 429 00:24:29,280 --> 00:24:32,280 Speaker 1: companies you know, as much success as Dell has had, 430 00:24:32,280 --> 00:24:34,720 Speaker 1: as much success as Delta have, they would probably say 431 00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:36,840 Speaker 1: we do a good job of serving our customers with 432 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:40,640 Speaker 1: jet Blue when they first started. What Apple has said, 433 00:24:40,720 --> 00:24:42,760 Speaker 1: what others want to say, They want to Yeah, they 434 00:24:42,800 --> 00:24:44,960 Speaker 1: want to thrill in delight, and that's what Ozzy has 435 00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:47,760 Speaker 1: always been about. I met a few years ago a 436 00:24:47,800 --> 00:24:50,600 Speaker 1: guy named David Neilman, who had founded Jet Blue. Helped 437 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:52,960 Speaker 1: found Jet Blue, and I love Jet Blue. When it 438 00:24:52,960 --> 00:24:55,920 Speaker 1: first came out, I would switch flights. I would pass 439 00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:58,560 Speaker 1: up business class or first class just to fly with them. 440 00:24:58,600 --> 00:25:01,040 Speaker 1: I love them. And I remember I met him at 441 00:25:01,119 --> 00:25:03,760 Speaker 1: LaGuardia and when he finally realized I wasn't a stalker 442 00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:06,719 Speaker 1: and stopped and talked and just that I was just 443 00:25:06,760 --> 00:25:08,840 Speaker 1: a super fan. I was like, how in the world 444 00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:10,760 Speaker 1: did you build something that I really like this much? 445 00:25:10,760 --> 00:25:13,800 Speaker 1: Because you don't really have an emotional reaction to an airline, 446 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:15,800 Speaker 1: but I love that. He said, was that for all 447 00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:17,800 Speaker 1: the analysis he did, in the end, he kind of 448 00:25:17,840 --> 00:25:20,399 Speaker 1: followed his heart and his gut, and he wanted to 449 00:25:20,440 --> 00:25:22,639 Speaker 1: be happy and other people like him. And so a 450 00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:25,040 Speaker 1: slightly tall guy tired of his knees getting banged, and 451 00:25:25,080 --> 00:25:27,320 Speaker 1: so he created seats with more room, not just for 452 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:29,280 Speaker 1: himself but for everyone. You know, he was a guy 453 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:32,440 Speaker 1: who was flying often from the West coast, East coast. 454 00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:34,399 Speaker 1: You taught to New York and he said, cause if 455 00:25:34,440 --> 00:25:36,000 Speaker 1: I could have had anything in that time, I would 456 00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:37,840 Speaker 1: have had TV time. And so I don't know if 457 00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:39,200 Speaker 1: you remember, they were the first to put a time 458 00:25:39,840 --> 00:25:41,000 Speaker 1: on the back of He had like that's why I 459 00:25:41,080 --> 00:25:46,440 Speaker 1: used to fly them and they had like yeah, it 460 00:25:46,560 --> 00:25:48,720 Speaker 1: all kinds of So I say all that just to 461 00:25:48,720 --> 00:25:50,720 Speaker 1: say that part of the reason why I hope you 462 00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:53,280 Speaker 1: feel like we're different and we are human is it 463 00:25:53,400 --> 00:25:55,359 Speaker 1: for all the studying we did in the end, we 464 00:25:55,359 --> 00:25:57,800 Speaker 1: were willing to put our books down and kind of 465 00:25:57,840 --> 00:25:59,400 Speaker 1: look in the mirror and kind of say what would 466 00:25:59,480 --> 00:26:02,000 Speaker 1: make you fall love? And and that's what we tried 467 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:04,800 Speaker 1: to do. You get that from experience. Because one of 468 00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:07,359 Speaker 1: the things that Alex and I were poking at a 469 00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:11,040 Speaker 1: little bit is what audience is the Aussie sweet spot. 470 00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:14,840 Speaker 1: So we have a theory AZZI is actually super serving 471 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:20,600 Speaker 1: an audience that is not necessarily spot on millennial and 472 00:26:20,720 --> 00:26:24,280 Speaker 1: not definitely in the older boomer but somewhere in the 473 00:26:24,359 --> 00:26:28,840 Speaker 1: gen X millennial crowd, people who are maybe a little 474 00:26:28,840 --> 00:26:32,560 Speaker 1: bit more seasoned in their career, more more yeah, more 475 00:26:32,600 --> 00:26:37,919 Speaker 1: experienced seasoned consumers, and people who are looking for maybe 476 00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:42,080 Speaker 1: something slightly different. It's not the different take on the 477 00:26:42,160 --> 00:26:46,359 Speaker 1: same story. It's giving a different story and put it 478 00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:50,919 Speaker 1: in context. Two things that are happening culturally, politically, economically, 479 00:26:51,040 --> 00:26:53,640 Speaker 1: from a business standpoint. I think you guys do that 480 00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:57,520 Speaker 1: probably better than anybody else. So when Laura and I 481 00:26:57,520 --> 00:27:00,919 Speaker 1: were talking about it, we're like, are they millennial? Not 482 00:27:01,080 --> 00:27:04,120 Speaker 1: from our field? It actually feels like you're super serving 483 00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:08,040 Speaker 1: maybe a slightly older thirty six I'm thirty six, thirty 484 00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:11,280 Speaker 1: six year old to forty five year old audience that 485 00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:15,720 Speaker 1: are ravenous readers, curious, interested. Yeah, I think you were 486 00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:18,320 Speaker 1: right that we've got a love affair with them, And 487 00:27:18,359 --> 00:27:21,240 Speaker 1: I think with millennials. When we first started, people thought 488 00:27:21,240 --> 00:27:23,080 Speaker 1: it was bullshit if I said it, But I used 489 00:27:23,119 --> 00:27:24,919 Speaker 1: to say that our audience was like what I call 490 00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:27,920 Speaker 1: the change generation. They were people who weren't just okay 491 00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:30,240 Speaker 1: with things being different, or they didn't just tolerate things 492 00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:33,400 Speaker 1: being different. Actually different had positive connotation, and different might 493 00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:36,720 Speaker 1: mean different food, different clothing, different places to travel, different 494 00:27:36,720 --> 00:27:40,040 Speaker 1: people to date and marry, but that fundamentally they weren't 495 00:27:40,080 --> 00:27:41,520 Speaker 1: just open to it but like it, like had a 496 00:27:41,560 --> 00:27:45,000 Speaker 1: positive connotation and not everything, but that more often than 497 00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:47,320 Speaker 1: not they would say why not and give something a shot, 498 00:27:47,560 --> 00:27:49,920 Speaker 1: and that that was our tribe and that while that 499 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:53,720 Speaker 1: might disproportionately skew millennial and gen xer. It really was 500 00:27:53,760 --> 00:27:56,320 Speaker 1: more about a mindset. And in fact, what was funny 501 00:27:56,400 --> 00:27:58,920 Speaker 1: was that my mom makes you rest in peace, who 502 00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:02,320 Speaker 1: was an eighty something year old teacher. I felt very 503 00:28:02,359 --> 00:28:04,920 Speaker 1: strongly that Ozzy was for her, and she would literally 504 00:28:04,920 --> 00:28:07,359 Speaker 1: put up her dukes with anyone who would try and 505 00:28:07,400 --> 00:28:09,199 Speaker 1: tell her that it was just for my niece, who 506 00:28:09,240 --> 00:28:12,760 Speaker 1: at the time was uh twenty and in college. And 507 00:28:12,880 --> 00:28:15,240 Speaker 1: who say, you know, Grandma, this is for me, this 508 00:28:15,320 --> 00:28:16,879 Speaker 1: is my thing. Why are you trying to read OUI? 509 00:28:17,320 --> 00:28:19,600 Speaker 1: And she was like, because Ozzy is for me. Ozzy 510 00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:22,840 Speaker 1: is for whoever is curious, whoever open. I hope Azzy 511 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:26,240 Speaker 1: has a nice mix of seriousness and sexiness right over, 512 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:29,280 Speaker 1: both smart and sexy. Or someone told me, really well, 513 00:28:29,400 --> 00:28:31,960 Speaker 1: Heidi Browning, if you're listening, I love it. She says 514 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:35,440 Speaker 1: smart is sexy and uh and I love that when 515 00:28:35,480 --> 00:28:38,040 Speaker 1: she said that. And I think that that's hard because 516 00:28:38,040 --> 00:28:39,720 Speaker 1: I think a lot of the sites that are known 517 00:28:39,720 --> 00:28:42,600 Speaker 1: as millennial sites, if I'm honest and you're honest, they 518 00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:46,800 Speaker 1: feel a little thin. Millennials have eclipsed as the highest 519 00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:50,800 Speaker 1: population in the world. How billions of people are we 520 00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:54,760 Speaker 1: talking about there's not one thing that ticks them off. 521 00:28:55,600 --> 00:28:58,120 Speaker 1: There are a million, and there's sometimes even different. I 522 00:28:58,160 --> 00:28:59,600 Speaker 1: went to China a couple of years ago. I was 523 00:28:59,600 --> 00:29:01,840 Speaker 1: pregnant and I went to China and I sat down 524 00:29:01,840 --> 00:29:05,800 Speaker 1: with a bunch of like I don't know, taste makers, entrepreneurs, 525 00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:10,240 Speaker 1: people in business, marketers and have these conversations about Chinese 526 00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:15,440 Speaker 1: quote unquote millennials, right. And the difference that everyone said, 527 00:29:15,440 --> 00:29:18,239 Speaker 1: and this was in separate conversations, was they could like 528 00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:21,920 Speaker 1: things that are actually at cross purposes. They could actually 529 00:29:21,960 --> 00:29:26,360 Speaker 1: believe in brands as strongly that has one perspective and 530 00:29:26,400 --> 00:29:30,280 Speaker 1: another one that has a completely opposite perspective. But somehow 531 00:29:30,320 --> 00:29:32,800 Speaker 1: that works out. And I think that we're going into 532 00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:38,320 Speaker 1: this place right in culture, in media, where you could 533 00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:44,480 Speaker 1: be a conservative African American that totally loves kid rock. 534 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:48,800 Speaker 1: From an advertising and marketing perspective, sometimes we under serve 535 00:29:49,360 --> 00:29:54,320 Speaker 1: and under delight that full total set of interests, the 536 00:29:54,360 --> 00:29:58,880 Speaker 1: idea that we're rallying around like minded communities that have 537 00:29:59,040 --> 00:30:02,040 Speaker 1: nothing to do with where you're from, how you were raised, 538 00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:05,440 Speaker 1: what's your ideology is. But we all gravitate to this thing, 539 00:30:05,800 --> 00:30:08,760 Speaker 1: whether that leans into politics, whether that leans into the arts, 540 00:30:08,760 --> 00:30:11,160 Speaker 1: whether you know, whatever it is that you may be covering. 541 00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:14,400 Speaker 1: There's no barrier to entry. It's just you really need 542 00:30:14,440 --> 00:30:17,880 Speaker 1: to enjoy this thing. Yeah, you've leaned a lot into 543 00:30:17,920 --> 00:30:22,360 Speaker 1: this idea of natural, authentic conversation and are building franchises 544 00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:24,640 Speaker 1: around it. Can you talk to us a little bit 545 00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:27,160 Speaker 1: about some of that original i P and some of 546 00:30:27,160 --> 00:30:29,480 Speaker 1: the programming that you're going into, some of the events. 547 00:30:29,480 --> 00:30:31,080 Speaker 1: I love when you tell me the best brands that 548 00:30:31,120 --> 00:30:32,560 Speaker 1: are coming to the table, the ones who are asking 549 00:30:32,560 --> 00:30:35,040 Speaker 1: for experiences, whether that's events or otherwise. You guys are 550 00:30:35,080 --> 00:30:38,080 Speaker 1: doing fest Yeah, so, what's what's the premise for the 551 00:30:38,080 --> 00:30:39,479 Speaker 1: original i P? And where are you going with it? 552 00:30:39,800 --> 00:30:42,640 Speaker 1: We started digitally with the idea, could we not just 553 00:30:42,720 --> 00:30:44,440 Speaker 1: catch you up on the day's news, but help you 554 00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:47,440 Speaker 1: vault ahead and be that place to help you discover 555 00:30:47,560 --> 00:30:50,720 Speaker 1: not just original takes, but original stories. We started hearing 556 00:30:50,800 --> 00:30:53,800 Speaker 1: pretty early, because we do fairly detailed surveys that people 557 00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:55,480 Speaker 1: were saying they use different words. They were saying, as 558 00:30:55,520 --> 00:30:57,240 Speaker 1: much as I like ASSI online, I wish I could 559 00:30:57,280 --> 00:30:59,520 Speaker 1: see Aussie in the real world, And so we started 560 00:30:59,520 --> 00:31:02,000 Speaker 1: thinking about at it first, doing kind of small events 561 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:03,920 Speaker 1: in the way that fortune in the Atlantic have done. 562 00:31:04,160 --> 00:31:06,000 Speaker 1: But then a very smart woman who was an Auzzi 563 00:31:06,040 --> 00:31:08,160 Speaker 1: attic who works for the City of New York was like, guys, 564 00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:10,960 Speaker 1: you're not thinking big enough. She said, south By Southwest 565 00:31:11,040 --> 00:31:13,480 Speaker 1: used to be something really special. It's gotten a little sprawly. 566 00:31:13,920 --> 00:31:17,080 Speaker 1: Why don't you guys really commit yourselves not to playing small, 567 00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:19,560 Speaker 1: but really to building the next south By Southwest. And 568 00:31:19,640 --> 00:31:21,720 Speaker 1: so we've made a five year commitment to the City 569 00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:24,000 Speaker 1: of New York to build something called Azzy Fest in 570 00:31:24,080 --> 00:31:27,480 Speaker 1: Central Park. My favorite review called it Ted meets Coach Ella. 571 00:31:28,640 --> 00:31:31,960 Speaker 1: It's actually perfect. With the success of that, we now 572 00:31:32,040 --> 00:31:34,440 Speaker 1: began doing smaller events all around the country. So we've 573 00:31:34,480 --> 00:31:36,840 Speaker 1: done them in d C, in Boston, and got one 574 00:31:36,880 --> 00:31:39,959 Speaker 1: coming up here in New York, San Francisco, a variety 575 00:31:39,960 --> 00:31:42,520 Speaker 1: of other places. And we're now I'm excited, We're going 576 00:31:42,560 --> 00:31:46,280 Speaker 1: to smaller towns and places and uh, is that inspired 577 00:31:46,360 --> 00:31:51,040 Speaker 1: by everything that's going on? Part of that, But we 578 00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:53,040 Speaker 1: always wanted to do that. There was a guy Gordon, 579 00:31:53,120 --> 00:31:56,080 Speaker 1: Donnelly Gordon, if you're listening out there in Missouri, we 580 00:31:56,120 --> 00:32:00,320 Speaker 1: still love you and remember you. Uh. But Gordon lived 581 00:32:00,640 --> 00:32:04,240 Speaker 1: outside of Ferguson and kind of a relatively a rural, 582 00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:08,560 Speaker 1: rural suburban area. Gordon was an azzy addict who saw 583 00:32:08,680 --> 00:32:11,560 Speaker 1: some of our Auzzy t shirts online and he's like, 584 00:32:11,600 --> 00:32:13,560 Speaker 1: how do I get one of those? And we were 585 00:32:13,600 --> 00:32:15,920 Speaker 1: like a sign up five of your friends, And about 586 00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:18,000 Speaker 1: a week later, Gordon comes back and has signed up 587 00:32:18,040 --> 00:32:24,880 Speaker 1: fifty bam and so we sent them with love. But 588 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:27,080 Speaker 1: I'd been lucky enough to get together with President Clinton 589 00:32:27,120 --> 00:32:30,240 Speaker 1: before we launched Ozzy, and he really liked the idea 590 00:32:30,320 --> 00:32:32,120 Speaker 1: and he said, cars, we have to promise me something. 591 00:32:32,160 --> 00:32:34,360 Speaker 1: He says, you have to promise me that Ozzy's not 592 00:32:34,400 --> 00:32:36,800 Speaker 1: e didnt use his words. Isn't just gonna be for yuppies, 593 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:38,800 Speaker 1: he said, because there are a lot of nurses who 594 00:32:38,800 --> 00:32:42,080 Speaker 1: worked the overnight shift. There are a lot of taxi drivers. Uh, 595 00:32:42,120 --> 00:32:43,960 Speaker 1: there are a lot of people who are curious who 596 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:46,160 Speaker 1: want to know and whether or not they had the 597 00:32:46,240 --> 00:32:49,840 Speaker 1: same education, opportunities are took the same route. Every bit 598 00:32:49,920 --> 00:32:52,040 Speaker 1: is curious and so you gotta promise me that what 599 00:32:52,080 --> 00:32:55,400 Speaker 1: you're doing is about curiosity and not about a degree. 600 00:32:55,480 --> 00:32:59,520 Speaker 1: And so we have always known and believe that our 601 00:32:59,600 --> 00:33:02,320 Speaker 1: audience played all around the world and wasn't just in 602 00:33:02,360 --> 00:33:04,920 Speaker 1: blue states in big cities, um, and wasn't just in 603 00:33:04,960 --> 00:33:08,320 Speaker 1: the US, And so we're doing events in places that 604 00:33:08,360 --> 00:33:11,040 Speaker 1: people might not immediately expect. It's gonna be fun and 605 00:33:11,040 --> 00:33:13,920 Speaker 1: it's exciting. We're doing a fifty state tour in all 606 00:33:13,960 --> 00:33:16,280 Speaker 1: fifty states, and we called States of the Nation. When 607 00:33:16,280 --> 00:33:18,560 Speaker 1: are you kicking that off? We just kicked it off, 608 00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:21,360 Speaker 1: So I'm getting ready. When are you coming to New Jersey? 609 00:33:21,560 --> 00:33:23,080 Speaker 1: You know that's actually a good question. I don't know 610 00:33:23,080 --> 00:33:28,480 Speaker 1: what we're hitting the Jersey? Are you thinking up a 611 00:33:28,480 --> 00:33:31,400 Speaker 1: Corey Booker? He's doing so much of this, this activism 612 00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:34,440 Speaker 1: ground and you know, he was one of the stars 613 00:33:34,480 --> 00:33:37,120 Speaker 1: of our first ASSI Fest. He was such a winner 614 00:33:37,760 --> 00:33:40,400 Speaker 1: at our first ASSI Fest and it was so good. 615 00:33:40,440 --> 00:33:43,120 Speaker 1: We were fortunate to have him, to have Karl Rove, 616 00:33:43,240 --> 00:33:46,040 Speaker 1: to have Malcolm Gladwell, have the Broad City Girls, to 617 00:33:46,120 --> 00:33:50,480 Speaker 1: have Ray, to have Alex Cornachelly, to have all kinds 618 00:33:50,520 --> 00:33:54,000 Speaker 1: of folks play in the sandbox and make it. In 619 00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:56,240 Speaker 1: India they call it massala, you know, make it a 620 00:33:56,280 --> 00:34:02,640 Speaker 1: really nice mix and yeah yeah, um, so what is next? 621 00:34:02,800 --> 00:34:06,000 Speaker 1: Frasie like big big swings. When we met, like what 622 00:34:06,080 --> 00:34:09,120 Speaker 1: two it was like two years ago. Now you came 623 00:34:09,160 --> 00:34:14,600 Speaker 1: in and you talked about the valley, You talked about 624 00:34:14,760 --> 00:34:18,239 Speaker 1: what people aren't thinking about. I think you've paid off 625 00:34:18,320 --> 00:34:20,719 Speaker 1: on that in so many ways. But I know that 626 00:34:20,760 --> 00:34:24,040 Speaker 1: there's more. We know that there's more. Um. You know, 627 00:34:24,200 --> 00:34:29,080 Speaker 1: not every media company or publisher has someone like you 628 00:34:29,200 --> 00:34:33,719 Speaker 1: that's as charismatic and also approachable. You know, one of 629 00:34:33,719 --> 00:34:36,400 Speaker 1: our investors, Ron Conway, has probably be the most successful 630 00:34:36,440 --> 00:34:41,640 Speaker 1: angel investor in history. You know, Facebook, Google, Twitter, LinkedIn, Uber, Snapchat, interest, 631 00:34:41,880 --> 00:34:44,960 Speaker 1: on and on. Almost sounds made up, but he reminds 632 00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:48,720 Speaker 1: me again last week he's like Carls investent over seven companies. 633 00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:51,440 Speaker 1: And while I've got arguably the greatest record for an 634 00:34:51,480 --> 00:34:54,080 Speaker 1: angel investor ever at the garage stage, not once it's 635 00:34:54,120 --> 00:34:56,440 Speaker 1: great it's gonna win, but when it's just a person 636 00:34:56,560 --> 00:34:59,440 Speaker 1: or two or three people and an idea and a dream, 637 00:35:00,040 --> 00:35:02,279 Speaker 1: he said, the reality is that nine out of ten 638 00:35:02,480 --> 00:35:05,520 Speaker 1: don't win big. He's like, you gotta stay humble because 639 00:35:05,520 --> 00:35:07,279 Speaker 1: the chances are just as easy that you're one of 640 00:35:07,320 --> 00:35:11,040 Speaker 1: the nine as you are the one right at any time, 641 00:35:11,280 --> 00:35:13,560 Speaker 1: By the way, at any time, at any time. And 642 00:35:13,600 --> 00:35:15,400 Speaker 1: so Samir and I always say that we're in the 643 00:35:15,400 --> 00:35:18,439 Speaker 1: sweet sixteen right now. Like we used basketball, we said, 644 00:35:18,480 --> 00:35:21,080 Speaker 1: like we've played our way into the sweet sixteen and 645 00:35:21,160 --> 00:35:23,600 Speaker 1: we haven't cut down the nets and won the championship yet. 646 00:35:23,600 --> 00:35:25,560 Speaker 1: But we're in the sweet six team, maybe the Elite eight. 647 00:35:25,840 --> 00:35:27,560 Speaker 1: So what gets you to the final four? What? What 648 00:35:27,640 --> 00:35:29,920 Speaker 1: are those? So? I think a couple of things have 649 00:35:30,040 --> 00:35:33,320 Speaker 1: to be true. One is, I think our friends Advice 650 00:35:33,440 --> 00:35:37,040 Speaker 1: very smartly led the way and said that if you're 651 00:35:37,040 --> 00:35:39,200 Speaker 1: doing good work in one platform, it should be able 652 00:35:39,200 --> 00:35:42,520 Speaker 1: to live in other places. Were and the idea that 653 00:35:42,800 --> 00:35:46,279 Speaker 1: high quality digital series can become television and film, I 654 00:35:46,280 --> 00:35:48,640 Speaker 1: think makes complete sense. And you guys know, we were 655 00:35:48,640 --> 00:35:50,759 Speaker 1: fortunate to sell our first show last year. We haven't 656 00:35:50,760 --> 00:35:53,520 Speaker 1: announced that we just sold our second show. We've partnered 657 00:35:53,560 --> 00:35:55,799 Speaker 1: with CIA, and we hope that we've got, you know, 658 00:35:55,840 --> 00:35:58,680 Speaker 1: a couple more shows coming. And so we think that 659 00:35:58,680 --> 00:36:00,799 Speaker 1: that's a real meaningful part of us. And it's a 660 00:36:00,800 --> 00:36:03,680 Speaker 1: meaningful part not only as a revenue driver and as 661 00:36:03,680 --> 00:36:05,759 Speaker 1: a chance to partner with brands in ways that they 662 00:36:05,800 --> 00:36:09,120 Speaker 1: really want, but it's also an opportunity, I think, to 663 00:36:09,120 --> 00:36:10,839 Speaker 1: build our own brand. And for a lot of people, 664 00:36:10,880 --> 00:36:13,200 Speaker 1: that's how they will discover Ozzie is through a show 665 00:36:13,239 --> 00:36:15,759 Speaker 1: like The Contenders or a couple of the others that 666 00:36:15,840 --> 00:36:18,200 Speaker 1: we have coming up that are gonna be awesome and great. 667 00:36:18,239 --> 00:36:21,040 Speaker 1: But do you want to say, I wish I could, 668 00:36:21,280 --> 00:36:23,279 Speaker 1: but you'll come back and tell us. But when you 669 00:36:23,480 --> 00:36:25,799 Speaker 1: watch Assi or listen AZZI read Ozzie, whether it's about 670 00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:28,719 Speaker 1: Brazil's crazy hot dogs or the young foreign minister in Austria, 671 00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:32,879 Speaker 1: or the crazy thing that's happening treating addiction these days, 672 00:36:33,000 --> 00:36:37,560 Speaker 1: the idea of vaccinating my addictions. You're learning. We think 673 00:36:37,600 --> 00:36:40,959 Speaker 1: over the long term, people may take courses and maybe 674 00:36:40,960 --> 00:36:43,879 Speaker 1: even one day do even kind of more advanced kind 675 00:36:43,920 --> 00:36:46,560 Speaker 1: of education. And so you know, you think about Oprah 676 00:36:46,640 --> 00:36:48,879 Speaker 1: starting as a talk show host and by the very end, 677 00:36:49,160 --> 00:36:52,479 Speaker 1: you know, causing more people to read than anyone else, right, um, 678 00:36:52,520 --> 00:36:54,960 Speaker 1: causing more people to change their lives anyway. So I 679 00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:59,520 Speaker 1: think if Ozzy becomes the world's best teacher, I think 680 00:36:59,680 --> 00:37:03,160 Speaker 1: that's one big opportunity that I actually think we'll speak 681 00:37:03,200 --> 00:37:04,799 Speaker 1: again to what you were saying earlier, that there's kind 682 00:37:04,800 --> 00:37:07,719 Speaker 1: of a deeper level of substance Dazzy than maybe there 683 00:37:07,719 --> 00:37:10,839 Speaker 1: are not only originality but substance um. And so I 684 00:37:10,880 --> 00:37:13,800 Speaker 1: think that will end up um being something that people 685 00:37:13,800 --> 00:37:15,560 Speaker 1: may not always articulate, but they will know. But I 686 00:37:15,600 --> 00:37:17,480 Speaker 1: also think it's something that people will pay for, and 687 00:37:17,480 --> 00:37:19,640 Speaker 1: I think there's gonna be a big opportunity there. The 688 00:37:19,760 --> 00:37:22,000 Speaker 1: other thing is, and I have to give one of 689 00:37:22,040 --> 00:37:24,759 Speaker 1: my sister's credit for this, she says, when I hear 690 00:37:24,800 --> 00:37:27,360 Speaker 1: that a guy reads Ozzy, it tells me he's not 691 00:37:27,360 --> 00:37:30,239 Speaker 1: going to talk about himself all night. Interesting, and she said, 692 00:37:30,280 --> 00:37:32,880 Speaker 1: she says, I immediately know that he's a curious person 693 00:37:33,320 --> 00:37:35,320 Speaker 1: and that he's open, and I can tell him and 694 00:37:35,360 --> 00:37:38,040 Speaker 1: then he's outward and he's outward, and so I actually 695 00:37:38,080 --> 00:37:40,520 Speaker 1: think that Ozzy could end up going down one day. 696 00:37:40,600 --> 00:37:44,040 Speaker 1: Is one of the greatest matchmakers in history. Swipe left, 697 00:37:44,120 --> 00:37:47,879 Speaker 1: swipe left and right, you know, you remember right, I'm married. 698 00:37:47,920 --> 00:37:51,840 Speaker 1: I don't know. But I also think that there's a 699 00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:56,080 Speaker 1: what you're kind of I think nicely nodding without telling us, 700 00:37:56,200 --> 00:37:59,360 Speaker 1: is that there's totally new ways of building community that 701 00:37:59,400 --> 00:38:02,600 Speaker 1: you're looking at very much, very much. And I would 702 00:38:02,600 --> 00:38:04,200 Speaker 1: say more than that, I would say that our audience 703 00:38:04,280 --> 00:38:06,560 Speaker 1: is looking at and I would say honestly that they 704 00:38:06,560 --> 00:38:09,120 Speaker 1: are driving us towards I mean, you know, part of 705 00:38:09,120 --> 00:38:11,320 Speaker 1: what I'm telling about education because we have over a 706 00:38:11,400 --> 00:38:15,560 Speaker 1: hundred thousand professors and teachers who have written in or 707 00:38:15,600 --> 00:38:17,400 Speaker 1: at various points of let us know that they are 708 00:38:17,400 --> 00:38:20,399 Speaker 1: Aussie readers and are using them in the classroom, from 709 00:38:20,560 --> 00:38:24,120 Speaker 1: high schools in Melbourne, Florida, to Brown University, from the 710 00:38:24,160 --> 00:38:28,240 Speaker 1: military academy to community colleges in California. And the fact 711 00:38:28,280 --> 00:38:32,239 Speaker 1: that people are are, you know, assigning our presidential Daily 712 00:38:32,239 --> 00:38:34,839 Speaker 1: Brief to their students or or using what we call 713 00:38:34,920 --> 00:38:37,719 Speaker 1: him honest Proposal to spark debates. You know, it's kind 714 00:38:37,719 --> 00:38:41,120 Speaker 1: of pulled us into the education sphere more aggressively than 715 00:38:41,480 --> 00:38:44,080 Speaker 1: we are, which ironically, you don't hear a lot of 716 00:38:44,120 --> 00:38:49,120 Speaker 1: media companies talking about like I remember being in college 717 00:38:49,160 --> 00:38:52,319 Speaker 1: and it's like what was your source of reference? And 718 00:38:52,360 --> 00:38:55,960 Speaker 1: I don't really remember it being like this broad reaching 719 00:38:56,040 --> 00:38:59,600 Speaker 1: scope of like media companies like there were some traditional 720 00:38:59,640 --> 00:39:04,080 Speaker 1: credible to their professors were bringing in and talking. I 721 00:39:04,120 --> 00:39:06,200 Speaker 1: just don't remember like somebody saying, hey, did you see 722 00:39:06,200 --> 00:39:09,200 Speaker 1: you on I mean been at home page of whatever, like, 723 00:39:09,719 --> 00:39:12,680 Speaker 1: which I think is a really interesting white space for 724 00:39:12,680 --> 00:39:15,160 Speaker 1: for media companies to be leaning into. This is a 725 00:39:15,200 --> 00:39:21,360 Speaker 1: really simple lesson for brands listen, just listen right like 726 00:39:21,480 --> 00:39:24,319 Speaker 1: you're not saying we're going to create audiences where we 727 00:39:24,400 --> 00:39:28,640 Speaker 1: think audiences need to be created. We're listening, and they're 728 00:39:28,760 --> 00:39:31,400 Speaker 1: driving us there, and we're going there and we're building, 729 00:39:31,400 --> 00:39:37,080 Speaker 1: and then we're building. That's that's it at home. So Carlos, 730 00:39:37,160 --> 00:39:41,480 Speaker 1: leave our listeners at Landia. Last tweet of the show. 731 00:39:42,600 --> 00:39:45,040 Speaker 1: What's interesting to you? You talk about staying interesting. What's 732 00:39:45,040 --> 00:39:47,640 Speaker 1: interesting to you? As a last tweet of the of 733 00:39:47,680 --> 00:39:54,680 Speaker 1: the show. I'm always interested and unlikely suspects and people 734 00:39:54,680 --> 00:39:57,240 Speaker 1: who weren't supposed to have a podcast, or weren't supposed 735 00:39:57,280 --> 00:40:00,400 Speaker 1: to start a company, or weren't supp was to be 736 00:40:00,440 --> 00:40:03,960 Speaker 1: a writer, or weren't supposed to do a movie like Moonlight, 737 00:40:04,640 --> 00:40:07,839 Speaker 1: and I want to know how that happens and what 738 00:40:07,920 --> 00:40:10,560 Speaker 1: we all can take from it in order to be 739 00:40:10,600 --> 00:40:13,560 Speaker 1: a little bolder, maybe a lot more bold, inspired by 740 00:40:13,560 --> 00:40:17,120 Speaker 1: the David's yes, yes, well, Carlos, you inspire us and 741 00:40:17,160 --> 00:40:20,160 Speaker 1: we always learned something new and interesting from you every 742 00:40:20,160 --> 00:40:22,399 Speaker 1: time we see you. So fun, We always have fun 743 00:40:22,440 --> 00:40:30,560 Speaker 1: with you. You are welcome anytime, Carlos Watson. Everybody, thank 744 00:40:30,560 --> 00:40:33,280 Speaker 1: you so much for stopping back. People want to find 745 00:40:33,320 --> 00:40:36,920 Speaker 1: you like someone in Missouri. How do they find you? 746 00:40:36,920 --> 00:40:38,960 Speaker 1: You could find me on Twitter, you can find me 747 00:40:39,040 --> 00:40:43,200 Speaker 1: on Facebook. Lots of good ways. Also Carlos Watson at 748 00:40:43,200 --> 00:40:46,239 Speaker 1: azzy dot com. Thank you, Carlo. Thank you, Carlos. Talk 749 00:40:46,280 --> 00:40:53,360 Speaker 1: to you soon. Take care. Big thanks to Carlos Watson 750 00:40:53,520 --> 00:40:56,680 Speaker 1: for coming down to Brooklyn to record with us. Um 751 00:40:56,760 --> 00:40:59,719 Speaker 1: all the way from California. Big fans of Ozzie check 752 00:40:59,760 --> 00:41:02,279 Speaker 1: them out out Central Park, Ozzie Festa, Manhattan. It's gonna 753 00:41:02,280 --> 00:41:04,359 Speaker 1: be awesome this summer. That said, we have a couple 754 00:41:04,360 --> 00:41:07,960 Speaker 1: of people to thank, Cameron Drews who was active today. 755 00:41:08,000 --> 00:41:12,280 Speaker 1: Cameron Drew's on the microphone. People, our producer, Laura Mayor, 756 00:41:12,360 --> 00:41:15,280 Speaker 1: Matt Turk, Andy Bowers, all of our family at Panoply. 757 00:41:16,040 --> 00:41:19,239 Speaker 1: And we have one request to our listeners. If you're 758 00:41:19,239 --> 00:41:22,760 Speaker 1: liking at Landia, review us on iTunes, Google Play, wherever 759 00:41:22,840 --> 00:41:25,560 Speaker 1: you can review and also get into conversations with us. 760 00:41:25,560 --> 00:41:28,520 Speaker 1: But we're having some fun banters back and forth on Twitter. 761 00:41:28,640 --> 00:41:30,439 Speaker 1: We'd love to hear from you. Yeah, so go ahead 762 00:41:30,440 --> 00:41:33,359 Speaker 1: and follow us on Twitter at Atlantia Podcast and we'll 763 00:41:33,400 --> 00:41:36,120 Speaker 1: be back in two weeks with another show. We're out. 764 00:41:36,280 --> 00:41:44,840 Speaker 1: Thanks at Landia Full disclosure, our opinions, our own